Protecting Children from Battery Dangers

Selling batteries is what we do, but when we saw the article this week from Techlicious about potential techie products that are possible dangers to children, we wanted to pass it on to our families.

Topping No. 4 on the hazards list is "button cell batteries", touted as potential poison pills. Since 1985, there have been 3,500 injuries and nine deaths. These small button-sized batteries are commonly used in items like remote controls, toys, light-up shoes, digital ear thermometers, and countless other products.

The danger here According to the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C., is that children, usually toddler-age, swallow these batteries. The batteries can get stuck in children’s throats. This is obviously a choking hazard but more often overlooked is the potential for severe chemical burns. "The effect starts within minutes of ingesting the battery and in as soon as two hours can burn a hole through the esophagus where it's lodged," says Dr. Toby Litovitz, executive and medical director of the poison center.

Parents should be careful not to leave a "dead" button battery within a child's reach when putting a new battery in a device. "Even a dead battery still has enough of a residual charge to cause the same sort of burn," Litovitz explains. The batteries that posed the greatest risk are labeled CR 2032, CR 2025 and CR 2016, or BR 2032, BR 2025 and BR 2016, she adds.

Larger batteries also present various dangers as unattended curious children can ingest, spark or break open these batteries.

We are including this information in our blog this week as a reminder about keeping electronics and especially batteries away from small children. At the same time, batteries are a key part of our lifestyles today, and when used and stored properly, provide us with many conveniences and fun times! At Impact Battery, we are your source for battery power with great prices, friendly customer service, and fast shipping. Every purchase benefits a charity of your choosing.